Mail chute



Feb. 24, 1931. J. w. cuTLER 1,794,104

MAIL CHUTE Filed Feb. 1, 1930 :s sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 24, 1931. J, w CUTl- ER 1,794,104

MAIL CHUTE Filed Feb. 1, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

a's A TTORNEY.

Feb. 24, 1931. J. w. cuTLER 1,794,104v

MAIL CHUTE Filed Feb. l, 1930 3 Shee'S-Sheet 5 i0 T 7 jg f //.z5,1 TTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES Pari-:Nrl aerien JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CU'ILR MAIL CHUTE CO., OF ROCHESTER, NEV' YORK, AVCORPORATION OF NEW YORK MAIL CHUTE i Application filed February 1, 1930. Serial No. 425,302.

My present invention relates to mail chutes or letter drops of the nature used in o-i'iice, apartment, hotel and other tall buildings for conducting mail matter from an),Y floor to a common receptacle or mail box usually located on the bottom floor, and it has for its object to provide a device of this character that will be neat, simple, strong, convenient and efficient, and which will possess the advantage of being able to accommodate and transmit mail matter in one of its sections while the other is under repair. Improvements are directed in part to increasing the maximum capacity of the apparatus adapting it to very tall buildings and to facilitate the assembly and removal of parts of the chute when repair or cleaning becomes necessary. Y

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. y

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one unit of a mail chute as comprised between the licor and ceiling ,of one iioor .of a building, the same being constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation partly broken away of the lower end of one chute element and the upper end of the adjoining chute element, the intervening floor being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, greatly enlarged, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. t is an enlarged fragmentary section through what is called the floor section of the chute taken on the line 1f- 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged .detail of a fragment of the showing of 3;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the floor base with the vmain chute sections and their `panels removed;

Fig. 7 is a similar view with other :parts removed;

Fig. 8 is a vertical fragmentary section taken on the line of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective, enlarged, of the molding that holds the two mail chute sections together.

Similar reference numerals throughout'the several views indicate the same parts.

The single mail chute heretofore used has not sulicient capacit-y for the very tall modern buildings. l Furthermore, mail chutes rcquire frequent cleaning because of accumulations of dust and ink from the falling letters, and they Asometimes become clogged when overtaxed by the dropping of many letters simultaneously from diiferent floors, and 'the chute has to be opened and the obstruction removed, thus temporarily putting it out of use.-

To meet these conditions and coi'itingencies, I provide a twin chute or a plurality of mail chutes arranged side by side but so related through the use of parts common to all that they constitute one unitary construction or combination facilitating access to any or all of them as desired but at the same time permit-ting the operation of one to continue while its neighbor is open, dismantled or otherwise temporarily placed out lof commission.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and to Figi thereof, the chute unit on each floor comprises as its general elements an integral base cast-ing l; an integral ceiling casting 2; two main chute sections 3 and 4 extending therebetween; a removable panel 5 for each of the latter provided with a letter drop element 6 having a receiving aperture 7 and the usual key controlled swinging locking bar 8 hinged at 9 for holdin-0f the panel in place against removal or tampering by other than authorized persons. l

Referring now to Fig. il, the device as whole is mounted on two vvertical angle irons l() securedto fthe wallllfand a central vertical stud 12, which elements are connected by cross bars 13. 1 The mail chute elements .themselves consist of sheet metal channels 3-*4 having reenforcing cross bars 15.011 their rear Asides welded or otherwise secured to theY supporting elements. Just in :rear of vthe front edges, the side walls of the channels are. `doubled upon ythemselves (-see also Fig. 5)

to form an inwardly projecting rib oi' shoulder 16 in each instance, which forms a seat or stop for the lower letter drop panels 5 and corresponding upper panels or chute fronts 17, which are also preferably remov able, being interlocledl within the kceiling casting 2 and resting at their lower ends on the lower panels 5. These panels comprise, in the present instance,mouldings 18 holding glass plates 19, and Ait is the mouldings that fit the 'front of the chute closely and rest against the shoulder 16. The swinging locking bars 8, before referred to, thus lock both upper and lower panels in place.

Between floors, that is, in the'level of the flooritself, is provided a iiovor section, best shownin Figs. 4 and 8, which makes continuous the several elements, such asv that shown in Fig. 1. It comprises a short tapered rectangular tube 20, the upper edge of which in alinement or llushwith the walls of the mail chute sections 3 or 4. Its lower end extends into the ceiling piece 2 below where it telescopes with anintermediate sleeve or similar tubular section 21 that in turn telescopes with the upper end ofthe main chute sections3 or 4 on the floor below. j As shown, the joints of these elements so overlap that they shed the letters and present no exposed edges thereto.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to remove the base casting 1 as well as the mail chute section in order to Withdraw these floor sections 20. In the practice 'of my invention, this is not required for the following reasons:

The base casting 1 is surmounted by a Vcasting constituting va crown moulding 22 having inwardly projecting lugs 23 by which it is supported on the base casting 1 and with depending lugs 24 at the rear, by means of which it is screwed to the angle irons 10, as shown in Fig. 8. The moulding is also provided at the sides (Fig. 4) with supporting lugs 25 and with a front to rear center rail 26 that passes between the two sets of chute` elements of the two twin chutes. The floor section tube 20 is provided at its top with an encircling band or collar 27 by which it hangs Y on these lugs and the center rail in the man ner clearly shown in the drawings, so that it may be lifted out in an upward direction in each instance. however, to a i'irm seat on its supporting lugs by a sill plate 28, one of which is provided on the base casting for each of the chutes. Each sill plate comprises a V-shaped flat frame having inwardly projecting lugs 29 at the front overlying similar lugs 30 on the base 1 but extending beyond them, as shown in Fig. 8 to engage the upper rim of the floor section 20 and hold it tightly to its` supporting lugs. The sill plate is secured to the base by screws 31 extending through the lugs 29 and into the lugs 30. Vhen the panels 5 are in place, they rest upon these sill plates as shown and render It is normally held down,

the screws inaccessible but when they are secured the sill plates may be removed and the floor section lifted out after, of course,

lifting off the main chute section which is secured in place from the inside with concealed screws. As before stated, the sill plates are shown in place in Fig. 6 and. removed in Fig. 7. T he mail chute sections are provided with lugs 32 (Figs. 3 and 4) on their side walls that i'est upon the respective arms of the sill plates disposed from front to rear at the sides and in the center.

To hold the adjacent free edges of the side walls of the two mail chutes 3 and4 together, I provide adetachable and replaceable channel moulding 33, shown in detail in Fig. 9, and in section best iii/Fig. 5. Its side plates extend between theinner faces of the edges of the main chutes and n'iouldings 18 of the panels thereof while there is a reentrant channel 35 at the center that extends between the outer faces and spaces the main chute seetions apart. It is secured under the ceiling piece at the top and by the locking bars 8 at the center. 1

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mail chute, the combination with a floor base having a detachable sill piece, of a mail chute section associated therewith and having a-displaceable and replaceable panel resting on the sill'piece, and a oor section supported on and within the floor base and secured by the sill piece, said floor section being removable upwardly through-the floor base when the sill'piece is removed.

2. In a inail chute, the combination with a floor base having a detachable sill piece, of ainail chute section associated therewith and having a displaceable and replaceable panel resting on the sill piece, a floor section supported on and within the floor basesand secured by the sill piece, said floor section being removable through the floor base when the sill piece is removed and securing devices attaching the sill plate to the base and normally covered and rendered inaccessable 'by the panel. v

3. In a mail chute, the combination with a floor base havinga detachable sill piece and screws securing the latter thereto, of a mail chute section associated with the iooi' base and having a displaceable andreplaceable panel normally resting on the lsill piece and concealing the screw heads'.y and a floor section supported on and within the flooiybase and ^secured by the sill piece, said floor section beingremovable through the floor base when the sill piece is removed. f Y

. 4. In a mail cliute,'the=combination with a pair of mail chute sectionsl arranged side b v side and an integral floor base associated therewith and common to both, vofftwo independently detachable sill pieces on the base, a displaceable and replaceable panel foreach mail chutesectionre'sting on the respective sill pieces and a floor section supported on and Within the base beneath each mail chute seetlon and respectively secured by the two sill pieces, each floor section being` removable through the floor base When the Corresponding sill piece is removed.

5. In a mail chute, the Combination with a floor base and a pair of mail Chute sections thereon arranged eide by Side in slightly spaced relationship, of a detachable and re movable panel for eaehfchute section and a. channel moulding` connecting the edges of the adjacent Walls ofthe sections, said moulding having one side plate extending` between the panel and the inner Wall of each chute section.

6. In a mail chute, the combination With a floor base and a pair of mail chute sections thereon arranged Side b v side in Slightly spaced relationship, o'l a detachable and removable panel for each chute section, a. ebannel moulding` connectingthe edges of the adjacent Walls of the sections. said moulding; having one side plate extending between the panel and the inner Wall of each Chute section, and a relatively leent-rant reverse channel lying between and spacing the outer Walls of the same.

JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER. 

